


The Cupcake Kiss

by iloveromance



Category: Peanuts
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24162355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveromance/pseuds/iloveromance
Summary: Touched that Lucy made him a cupcake in honor of Beethoven's birthday, Schroeder shows his appreciation with a kiss. And when Snoopy intervenes, giving Lucy the wrong idea, Schroeder is determined to tell her the truth. The only problem is that he can't figure out why it's so important to him.
Relationships: Schroeder/Lucy van Pelt
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

"Lucy, wait!" Schroeder yelled as he chased after the girl who drove him crazy. The cupcake still in his hand, he ran to his front door, watching in dismay as she disappeared from sight.

He still couldn't believe that she'd gone to so much trouble to bake him a cupcake in honor of the greatest day of the year; Beethoven's birthday. No one had ever done anything like that for him before and before he knew what was happening, he'd leaned across the piano and kissed her cheek.

Darn that Snoopy, climbing on his piano just as Lucy opened her eyes! He should have known that she'd run away in disgust, given her dislike of dog germs.

He could still remember the horrified look on her face at Violet's Halloween party when she'd gone bobbing for apples only to find that Snoopy was holding onto the same apple-between his teeth!

Or the time when Snoopy had kissed her during the rehearsal for the Christmas play. She'd run around screaming for hot water and disinfectant, leaving Snoopy heartbroken.

Did dogs even have feelings? He wasn't sure, but he knew one thing. Snoopy wasn't like ordinary dogs. He could be anything; a World War I Flying Ace, a writer, and so many other personas, Schroeder could hardly keep up with them all. Yet even with such a diverse range talents, Schroeder still wasn't convinced that Snoopy had feelings.

Lucy however did have feelings and Schroeder could never figure out why she wouldn't leave him alone. All he wanted was to play his piano in peace. And yet, despite his objections, she came day after day; staring at him as though he was the most fascinating person she'd ever known. One thing was certain, though. Lucy was the most annoying girl on the planet.

So why was he so intent on finding her?

He tried one last time, determined to give up if he wasn't successful.

"LUCY!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, hoping that she would hear him. But it was no use. She was nowhere to be found.

And worse, she might never come back.

With a sigh he went back to his piano and sat down, playing a slow sad version of Fur Elise. However, it just didn't have the same feel to it. He tried Mondschein-Sonate , Pastorale and even Sturm-Sonate. Yet, still he was miserable.

Finally in frustration he pounded the keys of his toy piano, nearly breaking it in the process. But who cared?

Without someone to play for, what was the point?


	2. Chapter 2

Schroeder looked at the clock, grateful to see that it was almost time for baseball practice. Perhaps that would keep his mind off of Lucy for a while.

But when he reached the ball field and saw her standing in the dugout, he knew he was in big trouble. How was he supposed to forget about her when she was on the opposite team?

He took his catcher's mitt and his bat and hurried to the ball field, where, as he suspected, Charlie Brown was already on the pitcher's mound warming up.

"Hey Charlie Brown! Ready for the big game?"

"Yes, Schroeder and I have a feeling we're going to win! I just know it!"

"I don't know about that Charlie Brown. We've lost 27 in a row and Peppermint Patty's team is pretty hard to beat."

"Yeah, but Lucy's on their team now and she can't catch a fly ball to save her life!" Charlie Brown laughed. "She's practically worthless when it comes to playing baseball!"

Schroeder couldn't help but feel a bit angry toward Charlie Brown for saying such a terrible thing about Lucy.

He supposed she deserved it. After all, she'd tormented Charlie Brown daily for as long as he could remember. Charlie Brown was his friend and he couldn't imagine how many bruises he must have from falling on his back. Poor kid tried so hard to kick that football only to have Lucy pull it out from underneath him.

But still, there was something about her...

"Play Ball!"

The team got into position and he crouched down as Marcie stood at home plate, her bat poised and ready to swing. Schroeder held his glove, ready to catch what he prayed was a strike. But just as he figured, Marcie hit the ball hard, sending it flying over the fence.

Lucy cheered on the side, making sure that Charlie Brown felt guilty. If there was one thing Lucy was good at, it was making Charlie Brown miserable.

Marcie rounded the bases and slid into home plate, smiling brightly at Peppermint Patty. "Betcha can't beat that, Sir!"

"Sure I can Marcie, but please stop calling me Sir!"

"All right Chuck, put it right here! I'll show you how this works!" Peppermint Patty said, holding her bat high.

Charlie Brown moved his arm around and around, sending the ball flying through the air in a perfect spiral.

Schroeder crouched down once more, prepared for the ball which would surely fly into his glove. But amazingly, Patty hit it as hard as she could and as before, it went sailing into the air, landing over the fence.

The game grew worse and worse and even Snoopy's expert shortstop position didn't save them. They hadn't even been up to bat yet and they were already losing twelve to nothing.

This was going to be a very long afternoon.


	3. Chapter 3

Finally Lucy was up to bat and Charlie Brown smiled hopefully. Lucy was by far their worst player and everyone knew it. Usually Schroeder was more determined than ever to be the one who caused Lucy to strike out. It made him happy to see her so frustrated.

Sure it was cruel but at least he knew that the next time she came over, she wouldn't be asking him all sorts of ridiculous questions and looking at him as though he was the only boy she'd ever known.

But now as she stood at home plate, something was definitely wrong. He felt his heart fluttering when she turned to her side, her bat poised in the air. Why did she have to look so darn... pretty?

He was still pondering this question when the pitch came and Lucy swung hard. She missed of course but as the ball reached the tip of his glove, it bounced out, causing the umpire to yell "Foul ball!"

"What?" yelled Charlie Brown. "That's impossible!" Frustrated he returned to the pitcher's mound, prepared to try again.

"Come on Charlie Brown, strike her out." Schroeder said, not really meaning it this time. What was wrong with him? He couldn't let his team down, but the thought of striking Lucy out just seemed... wrong.

Charlie Brown threw the ball again and as before it bounced off of Schroeder's glove, resulting in yet another foul ball.

"TIME!" Charlie Brown yelled.

Uh oh... Thought Schroeder as Charlie Brown marched over to where he and Lucy stood.

"All right, what's the big idea?" he demanded.

"I-I don't know what you mean." Schroeder stammered.

"I'm talking about you!" Charlie Brown yelled. "What's with you today? You're usually great at catching my pitches. Now come on, concentrate! I know it's Beethoven's birthday and all but we have to win this game! I'm tired of losing all the time and I know we can do this! All you have to do is catch the ball when it comes to you. But make sure she swings first. Three times and she'll be out. And then we'll be up to bat! You're one of our best players so why don't you show it? "

Schroeder blinked in surprise. Charlie Brown had never spoken so forcefully to him before. Then again, Schroeder had never played as badly as he was playing today. But it wasn't his fault that he was distracted. Really it wasn't. However he couldn't tell Charlie Brown the real reason he was playing the way he was. His friend would never believe it.

And frankly, neither did Schroeder.

The bases were loaded and there were two outs. He thought long and hard about what Charlie Brown had told him and he was determined to make things right. Lucy or no Lucy he had to strike her out. Show her who the better team was.

Once more she stood at home plate ready for just about anything. Charlie Brown threw the ball and Lucy raised her bat. The ball was in the perfect position for Schroeder to catch it. Trying to forget all about her, he crouched down and waited for the ball to come to him.

But then the unthinkable happened. Lucy swung at the ball sending it flying through the air. It sailed over Charlie Brown's head and even Snoopy couldn't catch it in his mouth.

All around him, almost every mouth was open in disbelief as Lucy trotted around the bases, relishing in her victory.

And Schroeder couldn't help but smile.


	4. Chapter 4

Schroeder was all too aware of Charlie Brown glaring at him while Lucy relished in her impending victory. But there was one thing that Schroeder hadn't counted on.

Lucy was mere feet from home plate when the unthinkable happened. Snoopy appeared out of nowhere, barking wildly at Lucy as she fought her way to the base.

"Get out of my way you stupid beagle!" She yelled, holding up her fist.

"Woof! Woof!" Snoopy barked, startling even Schroeder with his sudden uncharacteristic ferociousness. Lucy (who was usually unaffected by Snoopy's barking-and sometimes barked back) froze in place, slowly backing away as though terrified when Snoopy began to snarl and show his teeth.

"Snoopy, stop that right now!" Schroeder ordered, annoyed when the beagle annoyed him. "Do you hear me? I said stop it!"

In disgust, Charlie Brown tossed his baseball mitt on the ground and stormed over to Schroeder. "All right, what's going on here?" He demanded. "You're holding up the game!"

"But Snoopy-."

"Is just doing what I told him to do!" Charlie Brown finished. "Go on Snoopy! Keep barking!"

"But that's cheating!" Schroeder protested. "Lucy was almost at home plate! Snoopy scared her!"

Charlie Brown fumed. "SHE'S ON THE OPPOSING TEAM!" He yelled.

Just then Peppermint Patty appeared. With her hands on her hips, she didn't look happy at all.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, CHUCK? Lucy was about to score!"

"I-I know!" Charlie Brown said hesitantly. "But Schroeder-."

"Look Chuck, I like you and all but sometimes you can be such a blockhead!" Peppermint Patty yelled. "I know this is going against the rules of baseball but Schroeder's right. Sending the kid with the big nose to bark at our player is cheating! So I say that we let her try it again! And Chuck? KEEP THAT KID AWAY FROM MY PLAYERS!"

With that, she stormed back to the bench. "PLAY BALL!" She yelled.

"TIME!" Charlie Brown yelled, causing Peppermint Patty to throw up her hands in frustration.

"What now, Chuck?"

"Can I have a word with my catcher, please?"

"Fine Chuck! Just hurry up!" She yelled.

Charlie Brown walked over to Schroeder. "All right, we've got one more chance! Now just keep your eye on the ball and catch it this time! Lucy's a terrible player! There's no way she's going to hit another home run!"

Schroeder sighed, hiding his anger toward his friend. He liked Charlie Brown a lot but he didn't like Charlie Brown saying bad things about Lucy. He was strangely nervous about the possibility of Lucy striking out. She was bound to be upset... or at least very angry.

He pulled his catcher's mask over his face and crouched down, watching as Lucy skipped to home plate again, her black hair shining from the sun. She looked almost... pretty. And he couldn't ignore the funny feeling he had in the pit of his stomach.

Charlie Brown stood poised on the pitcher's mound, ready to throw the ball as hard as he could. As before the ball sailed toward Lucy's bat and to everyone's surprise, she swung as the sound of a crack was heard and the ball went flying past Charlie Brown. The force knocked him over, along with his clothes. Fortunately he quickly dressed again, saving him any embarrassment.

But all eyes were on Lucy and the way she was running around the bases again. But to Schroeder's horror, Snoopy appeared at third base barking even louder and more wildly than before. Poor Lucy was so terrified that she turned around screaming as she ran toward home. Her real home.

And once again Schroeder had missed his chance to make amends. Worse, he felt responsible for Snoopy's rudeness. The nerve of that beagle! Darn that Snoopy!

If only there was some way to make it up to her.


	5. Chapter 5

Schroeder ran as fast as he could to the house he knew so well. This would definitely be a surprise visit, which was something he usually frowned upon. But this was an emergency.

He was gasping for air by the time he reached the doorstep and he wasted no time in ringing the doorbell. The wait was hard; far more difficult than waiting for Beethoven's birthday!

As he stood at the door, his heart pounded and he was so nervous that he considered going home. But he knew that once he got there, he'd only end up running right back.

The door opened unexpectedly.

"Oh, hello Schroeder. Did you come over to play?"

"Um, well I-."

"I'd love to do just that, but I'm writing a letter to the Great Pumpkin, and I think it's best if I do it in peace."

Schroeder resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his friend. Linus was forever talking about the Great Pumpkin. A figure that everyone knew was simply a figment of his imagination. But he really liked Linus and didn't want to hurt his feelings, no matter how ridiculous the idea of the Great Pumpkin was.

Even Lucy said-.

He swallowed hard as the familiar funny feeling returned to his stomach.

"Can I help you with something, Schroeder? I'm very busy." Linus was asking.

"A-actually Linus I didn't come to see you. I-I came to see Lucy." Schroeder spoke her name so quietly that Linus had to strain to her him.

And then Linus laughed... a lot.

"What's so funny?" Schroeder demanded, his hands crossed in front of his body.

Linus doubled over with laughter, kicking his feet in the air as he lay on his back.

"LINUS!" Schroeder yelled. "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?"

"I'm sorry, Schroeder. It sounded like you said that you came to see Lucy."  
Schroeder's face burned with embarrassment and he grinned sheepishly. "I-I did. Is she home?"

"No, thank goodness. Lucy just doesn't understand the significance of the Great Pumpkin. No one believes that he's real, but especially her! Now if you'll excuse me, I must get back to my letter."

"Why are you writing to him now?" Schroeder asked. "Halloween isn't for months!"

Linus turned and looked at Schroeder in all seriousness. "When it comes to the Great Pumpkin, it doesn't pay to take chances!"

Growing impatient, Schroeder began to fidget. "So where is Lucy? I really need to find her. Tell me Linus! Please!"

"Sure Schroeder, I'll tell you where Lucy is." Linus said. "She's manning her psychiatric booth."

Schroeder smiled despite himself. "Great! Thanks Linus! You're a real pal!" With that he took off running. But he didn't get very far, for he heard Linus calling him. Anxiously he turned and walked back to where his friend stood. "Yes, Linus?"

"Why did you come to see Lucy?"

"Oh... well... I... she's at her psychiatric booth you say? Great! I need some advice, so if you'll excuse me, I'll just be on my-."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Schroeder." Linus warned. "Lucy's pretty crabby today."

"She is?"

"Yeah. Boy was she mad about not getting that home run!"

"Darn that Snoopy!" Schroeder mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Um, nothing Linus. Thanks for telling me where Lucy is! See you later!"

Once again he took off running determined to find Lucy.

He expected her to be crabby, as she was most of the time. But he had a feeling that she wouldn't be crabby for long. That is, if things worked out the way he planned.

He just hoped she liked surprises.


	6. Chapter 6

Schroeder ran until he was out of breath, stopping in his tracks when he came to the familiar yellow booth'; the one with the sign painted in black letters that read THE DOCTOR IS REAL IN. The fact that Lucy had painted the word REAL next to IN made him smile. Or maybe it was the way she looked sitting there so calmly waiting for her next patient.

Linus was right. She sure looked crabby and Schroeder almost felt sorry for the next poor kid who tried to approach her for advice. Lucy was sure to humiliate them. But there was something else about the way she looked. Something he couldn't quite explain.

Oh who was he kidding? He knew darn well how she looked. It was the reason his heart felt like it was doing summersaults; especially now.

Drat! Why did she have to kiss him? Things were much better when he hated her! Well, he never really hated her. Dislike was a better word. She was, after all, a girl and girls were bossy, annoying and just plain dumb. Most girls anyway.

There were some girls that he liked. Sally was always nice to him even though Charlie Brown told him that she could be a real pain sometimes, especially when she hassled him crazy questions and called Linus her Sweet Baboo.

Peppermint Patty wasn't dumb at all, even though she wasn't a very good student. She definitely liked to daydream a lot. Good thing she had Marcie to keep her in line. He suspected that both Peppermint Patty and Marcie had crushes on Charlie Brown and Schroeder had to admit that the idea made him a little jealous. Not that he wanted Peppermint Patty and Marcie to like him, at least not the way Sally liked Linus.

But then he had a thought. Lucy DID like him that way! Who else would go to all that trouble to make him a cupcake for Beethoven's birthday? Peppermint Patty and Marcie wouldn't. Sally wouldn't and He sure as heck knew that Snoopy wouldn't, even if he was just a dog. That only left Lucy.

He wanted to be annoyed by her but when he thought about that cupcake, he just couldn't. And come to think of it, he couldn't bring himself to eat it either. It was just too special. Instead, he'd carefully carried it into the kitchen and put it on his favorite plate, the one with the faded image of Beethoven. And then he placed the cupcake on it. Making sure that no one was looking, he slid it into the refrigerator in a secret place, hidden behind the asparagus. No one would ever think of looking for it there.

However, he couldn't resist taking a peek every now and then. It was dark except for the moon which was glowing full and bright through the kitchen window casting a shadow on the linoleum floor. It was just enough light to guide him to the refrigerator.

His hand shook as he thrust the door open and the tiny refrigerator light shone brightly onto his slippers. Carefully he reached in and removed the cupcake. He couldn't resist putting it under his nose. The pink icing smelled so good and it was hard not to take a bite. But he couldn't. Because once he devoured Lucy's cupcake, it was gone forever.

And so he glanced at it and then returned it to the refrigerator behind the asparagus. With a sigh he went back to bed, unable to get Lucy out of his mind.


	7. Chapter 7

"I SAID NEXT PLEASE!"

Lucy's harsh outburst startled Schroeder and he jumped before tumbling onto the ground. Feeling somewhat wobbly, he got to his feet and walked over to the booth.

"H-hi Lucy."

"What seems to be the problem?"

"Well, I… uh…"

"Before we begin, I must ask that you pay in advance. Five cents, please."

Schroeder reached into his pocket and removed the shiniest nickel that he could and then placed it into her waiting hand. Lucy dropped the nickel into a small yellow can with a smile on her face. She shook the can, rattling the coin inside. "Isn't' that a beautiful sound?" She exclaimed. "I just love the sound of cold hard cash! I-."

"LUCY!"

Finally she stopped talking, a feat that he thought would never happen. He hated to yell at her but if he didn't do what he'd come here to do, he was sure he'd go crazy.

"Now what seems to be the problem?" Lucy asked again.

Schroeder swallowed hard, quickly trying to decide how to say what he wanted to say. "I-I have this friend. A-a girl… and I want to get her a present, but I don't know what to buy."

Lucy thought for a moment. "Is it her birthday?"

"Um, no. Not really."

"Well, you could always buy her flowers or candy. Girls love stuff like that."

"NO!" Schroeder yelled, louder than he meant to. "I-I mean… I don't think so."

"Why not? She's a girl, isn't she?"

"Well, yes…"

"What does she like?"

Schroeder looked at Lucy, trying to remember all the things that she liked. "Well… she likes baseball and… um… she's a great player. She likes music… at least I think she does. She's a good roller-skater. I-I've seen her roller skate by my house."

At this Lucy seemed to fidget. "Really? Who is she?" She demanded.

"Um, well…"

"Never mind. If you really like this girl, you'll do whatever it takes to make her happy, you got that? And when it comes to presents for pretty girls, money is no object. Take me for example. You do think I'm pretty, don't you Schroeder?"

His face turned at least five different shades of red and he'd never been more embarrassed. When he looked at Lucy he cringed. She didn't look happy at all. In fact she looked mad… Really mad!

Oh no…

"You didn't answer me right away!" She yelled. "You had to think about it first, didn't you? If you really thought I was pretty you would have spoken right up! But NO! I should have known that you didn't think I was pretty!"

"But Lucy-."

She rose from her stool and stormed past him. He watched in surprise as she yanked the sign from her doctor booth and threw it on the ground with such force that it broke into pieces.

"The doctor is OUT!" She exclaimed. "And by the way Schroeder, don't bother asking for a refund because it's not going to happen! Goodbye Schroeder!"

Schroeder watched helplessly as Lucy ran toward her home.

Darn it, why couldn't he have told her the truth? Of course she was pretty! In fact, she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen! But now she'd never know. And he was afraid that he'd never get the chance to tell her.


	8. Chapter 8

With a sigh, Schroeder walked into his house and headed straight for his toy piano. Almost instantly the strands of Beethoven's 9th Symphony filled the room, making him forget all about Lucy.

Well, almost.

In bed that night, he tossed and turned, unable to get any sleep at all. And then at school the next day he could barely keep his eyes open, even during music class! And he loved music more than anything!

At lunch time he ate his lunch as fast as possible and then, doing his best to avoid Charlie Brown and Linus, found a large shady tree. It was the perfect place for a short nap. Of course he made sure that his watch was timed to wake him up. He couldn't risk being late for class. What would he say?

He couldn't tell Miss Othmar that he was late because he was taking a nap! She would ask him why he was sleeping instead of playing and he'd have to tell her that he stayed up all night trying to decide what to buy Lucy. He'd be the laughing stock of the school!

Good grief, this was becoming more and more complicated. But at least his short nap had refreshed him a little. He rose to his feet and hurried to catch up with his class.

"Hey Schroeder, where were ya?" asked Franklin. "We were looking all over for you!"

Schroeder grinned sheepishly. "Oh… I was... Um…" He stopped when he caught sight of Lucy who was holding her baseball glove in her hand. There was no doubt about it. She was definitely pretty.

"Schroeder?"

He turned his head to find Linus, Charlie Brown and Franklin staring at him.

"What's wrong with you?" Linus demanded.

"Who, me?" Schroeder squeaked.

"Yeah you!" Charlie Brown said. "What's going on with you? You seem like you're on another planet!"

"Oh… I was just… thinking about baseball." Schroeder said. It wasn't' a lie. He really was thinking about baseball. He couldn't help noticing the way Lucy was tightening the laces on her baseball glove. It looked like it had definitely seen better days.

Suddenly he had an idea.


	9. Chapter 9

The rest of the day, Schroeder could hardly sit still, nor did he have any idea what Miss Othmar was saying. All he could think about was the errand that he had to run after school. And when the bell rang, he grabbed his backpack and raced out of the building as though it were the last day of school before summer vacation. He ran and ran and didn't stop, despite the confused looks of his friends as they called his name.

Schroeder, where are you going?" Charlie Brown yelled. "We've got baseball practice!"

But still Schroeder didn't stop. He ran past houses and barns and even his favorite playground, until he finally came to a stop in front of a familiar store; the place that sold the best baseball gear around. He peered into the window and there it sat; a genuine leather baseball mitt. It was absolutely perfect and Lucy was sure to love it.

He reached into his pocket and his heart sank when he realized that he didn't have any money. His heart sank even further when he saw the price tag. The store wasn't going to be open much longer but if he hurried, he might be able to make it home and back again.

It was a good thing that he was a fast runner. In fact he was one of the fastest in his class. He could even beat Peppermint Patty! And so he took a deep breath and began to run until he reached his house.

Once inside he rushed to his room and went straight for his piggy bank. Inside was all the money he'd been saving for months; almost a year, for a new toy piano. A bright, shiny blue toy piano. He'd wanted one for so long, but suddenly it didn't seem so important to him.

As quickly as possible, he filled his pockets with every dollar and cent he could find and then ran back to the store. Luckily he got there in the nick of time. It was only a few minutes before closing.

The store manager smiled and asked Schroeder if he needed any help as only a grown-up could. Schroeder grinned and told the man that he wanted the baseball mitt that was displayed in the front window. When asked if he had any money, Schroeder reached into his pocket and proudly displayed his hard-earned savings. This seemed to impress the manager who promptly took the baseball mitt and rang it up.

When he handed Schroeder the bag and some change, Schroeder beamed with pride. He thanked the nice man and then ran out of the store headed for home. He could hardly wait to give Lucy her gift.

When that funny feeling in his stomach returned, he ran even faster. Tomorrow would be a day that he would never forget, and hopefully neither would Lucy.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day at school he could barely concentrate and like the day before, he rushed home without saying a word to anyone. If he kept this up, he was going to have to confess and he couldn't' do that. He just couldn't! He'd never hear the end of it! There was no time to worry about it now, though. He'd just think of a good excuse later; one that wouldn't exactly be a lie. But now he had more important things to do.

As soon as he got home, he removed the baseball mitt from the bag and tied a bright blue ribbon around it. Blue was Lucy's favorite color or at least he hoped it was. Her dresses were always blue. When he'd carefully placed the baseball mitt aside, he went to his piano and began to play. But it was hard to concentrate, knowing that any moment Lucy would be ringing his doorbell.

And sure enough a few minutes later the doorbell rang.

Schroeder swallowed hard and went to answer it, unable to stop smiling when he saw her standing in the doorway. "H-hi Lucy!" he stammered. "Y-you look-." He tried to continue speaking but his throat was tight. And his legs felt like jelly when he opened the door wider to let her in.

But Lucy was crabby that day. Boy was she crabby! Her hands went to her hips and she glared at him. "How do I look, Schroeder? What were you going to say? Don't you think I look pretty? If you don't tell me the truth, I'll slug you!"

He flinched at the sight of her fingers that slowly closed into a fist. He had to think fast.  
"Um... of course, Lucy. You look pretty. You always look um… pretty."

Good grief! Had he really told her that she looked pretty? Judging from the smile on her face, he really had. He could barely look at her as he walked to his piano and sat down. As usual Lucy sat across from him and leaned onto the piano watching him intently.

"Play something!" She demanded in a strange, sweet way.  
His hands were shaking so badly that he wasn't sure if he could play at all. But he did his best and soon began playing the most romantic song he could think of.

It was a song that he had played many times before, and Lucy wasn't amused that he'd chosen the song as the music for last year's Christmas play. But it wasn't Christmastime now, and she was getting crabbier by the minute. So he began playing "Bagatelle in A Minor" otherwise known as "Fur Elise." He expected her to get mad but to his surprise, she sighed. "Oh Schroeder, you play beautifully."

Schroeder stopped suddenly and stared at her in amazement. He must have heard her wrong. No one had ever told him that he played beautifully before.

"Um… Thank you." He stammered in reply.

"Play something else!" Lucy demanded.

He thought long and hard but he couldn't decide on a song. Perhaps now was the time to give her the surprise.

"Um… Lucy, I have a better idea."

"All right, but that stupid beagle better not be in this house, do you hear me, Schroeder?"

"N-no, no. Snoopy's not here, but there is something…"

"Well, what is it?"

Schroeder's heart pounded in his chest and he hurried to the sofa where he'd put the baseball mitt for safekeeping. As carefully as possible, he picked it up and handed it to her. "Here, Lucy."

She glanced at the mitt and then at him. "What's this?"

He smiled sheepishly. "It-it's for you."


	11. Chapter 11

Her eyes widened and she smiled. "F-for me?"

"Well… I noticed that your mitt was coming unlaced so I thought you could use a new one."

Lucy looked at the mitt and when she returned her gaze to Schroeder, he saw that she was crying. Darn it, now he'd made her mad!

"Lucy, I'm sorry, I-."

"Oh, Schroeder, you do love me! Thank you!"

When she hugged him, he tried to pull away but quickly found that he liked being hugged by a girl; especially this girl. She smelled good, like powder and flowers and soap all mixed together. But then she let go before he wanted her to.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you. For the cupcake I mean. That was very thoughtful."

"I know." Lucy replied, making him smile with her assertiveness. "So how was it? I went to a lot of trouble to make it, from scratch of course. My mother helped me but it was mostly my doing."

"I'm sure it was." Schroeder said.

"So did you like it? You never told me."

Schroeder thought about the cupcake that was hidden safely in his refrigerator. "Well, I uh..."

"You what?"

She demanded with her hands on her hips.

"I, uh..."

"You hated it, didn't you?" She yelled. She kicked his piano, which sent it flying through the air.

"N-no. I-I haven't even eaten it yet!" He confessed.

"Well, why not?"

He sighed and looked at his piano, which was now laying in pieces on his living room floor. He should have been furious but he had a whole stack of toy pianos in the closet. When he returned his glance to Lucy, he noticed that her back was to him.

Boy, she must really be mad!

He turned around and hurried as quietly as possible to the kitchen, where he carefully removed two small plates from the cabinet, and a dull knife and two forks from the drawer. He was careful to grab a knife that he knew wouldn't cut him, the way his mother had taught him.

"Schroeder where are you?" Lucy yelled. "It's not polite to leave your guests waiting!"

Balancing the cupcake in one hand and the silverware and plates in the other, he returned to the living room, pausing to retrieve a new toy piano from his closet. When the piano was safely in place, he sat the plates on top of it. Then he handed Lucy a plate and a fork. He carefully cut the cupcake in half and put it onto her plate, making sure to give her the bigger half. It was only fair, since she went to all that trouble to make him a cupcake from scratch.

"Schroeder, what are you doing?"

"Mmm! He exclaimed, finally taking a bite of his cupcake half. "Lucy, this is so good!"

"Really?" She was glowing with pride, and not the kind that she usually had, where she wanted to feel superior to everyone. She looked genuinely proud of herself. And it was then that he realized how hard she had worked on baking the cupcake for him. No wonder she was so upset that he hadn't yet tried it.

"Yes, really." Schroeder said. "Try it and see!"

She did as he asked and had the same reaction. "Wow, this is good! I'm a good cook!"

Schroeder couldn't agree more. "You sure are!"

"Well then why did you wait so long to eat it?"

Schroeder's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. "Well, actually…"

Lucy scowled; a sure sign that she was going to return to her crabby self any minute now. "Come on, out with it!"

"Um, well… the reason I waited so long to eat your cupcake is because I wanted to share it with you and nobody else."

Lucy gasped and threw her arms around him, making him feel like he could fly. "Oh, Schroeder, you do love me!"

And then to his surprise she kissed his cheek, making him blush even more. He couldn't have been happier than if someone told him he'd never have to go to school again.

Before he knew what was happening, he turned and kissed her cheek. At first he thought she'd be mad, but she simply smiled.

It wasn't a mushy kiss like the kisses he'd seen in the movies. Good grief, he was just a kid and so was Lucy! They were too young for that stuff! But they were growing every day and they were bound to be in the same classes for years to come, or at least until high school graduation. And with any luck, there would be many more moments just like this one.

He could hardly wait until Beethoven's next birthday.

THE END


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